Sloth and Pynchon

[Paul Mackin]

Doug Millison wrote:

> That's your problem, Malign, imo -- you seem think you know what other
> people are thinking, and you seem to judge them before you really know
> anything about them.  You have no way to know what  I haven't read, based
> on the Pynchon-L discussion.  Just as I've seen you write nothing here that
> couldn't be based on Cliff's Notes and a Web search re the work in
> question.  You've said nothing about Gaddis that I haven't heard
> regurgitated by others  (more a few years ago, now that annual sales of
> that book hover below 1,000 units) over the past few years. Why not move
> beyond the name-dropping and share some insight, if you wish to demonstrate
> you truly know something of the works you brag about having read, and I'll
> be happy to join in the discussion with you, whether you like that or not.
> If not, move on to the next topic. Or not, as you wish. I come to Pynchon-L
> to learn from other people who enjoy Pynchon, who can relate their life
> experience (including their lives as readers of books) to Pynchon's works,
> who can relate Pynchon's works to other works of art and cultural
> phenomena. If you've been paying attention at all since you entered this
> forum, I tend to respond in kind -- when people are nice and polite, I'm
> nice and polite.  When they choose a different tack, I don't always manage
> to stay nice and polite. You seem to want to insult and be insulted in
> return, I'm giving you what you want, what's your beef? -- as I said, if
> that makes you feel good, I apologize for doing you the favor. I do thank
> you for giving me so many opportunities to practice patience and
> forebearance, as I realize how important those qualities are, usually in
> the moment I let them go.
>
> What do you want to do here?

Today's assignment for  the online editorial board and rewrite commitee will
be to frame the sanctimony and self pity of the Doug character into a shorter
paragraph.

P.